10-22 - Volquartsen IF-5 Threaded Match Series Review
First let me define this Volquartsen IF-5 10/22 by saying “Damn” this thing is amazing. The Volquartsen IF-5 (I-Flute) is Volquartsen’s top tier of 10/22 builds inclusive of all of their usual match quality custom parts plus their exclusive heavy stainless threaded receiver and thread in barrel to deliver the ultimate in accuracy. It should be noted that Scott Volquartsen was one of the people who started the whole custom 10/22 market initially with a selection of a few parts that could make the original 10/22 way more accurate than anyone imagined.
Volquartsen based his barrels Lothar Walther blanks which are widely considered as on the top tier of rifle blanks and then began improving the design, functionality and esthetics of the trusty old 10/22. He was really the first to also elevate the 10/22 format to both an art form and also premier quality firearm with quality rivaling any custom firearm. I now own several Volquartsen based builds and they have always exceeded my accuracy and quality expectations. Of all the custom 10/22s I wrote about for the recent Tactical Retailer magazine showcase, I was shocked they didn’t use the images of this amazing build for the feature photos. Well… here it is - Volquartsen Custom 10/22 Perfection in full detail.
From an accuracy perspective, the IF-5 is in my top three of most accurate .22LR builds I have ever owned and most days it regions as #1. It is a laser with nearly any match grade ammo and is so accurate and predictable at delivering essentially single hole groups at 50-yards it is a bit boring without stretching to 75 or 100 yards. I have two other premier tier builds with similar accuracy and it is an incredible thing to behold when you can routinely punch ½-inch 100-yard groups or better with a .22LR semi auto. The Volquartsen IF-5 is also the only one of these three 10/22 builds I own that anyone can just order as a complete rifle from Volquartsen or your local retailer. The option is there to build your own DIY option which is likely to miss the level of refinement and accuracy of this IF-5 rifle. 
WHY IS THIS VOLQUARTSEN BETTER?
We will jump into the beauty of this Volquartsen IF-5 build, but let’s first explore why this build is so accurate. All the usual Volquartsen match spec parts support the unique receiver and barrel like the Volquartsen TG2000 trigger, match bolt, enhanced firing pin and extractor, receiver pins, v-block, and action screw. With the exception of the magazine and stock, Volquartsen has meticulously re-designed, enhanced and upgraded every part on their rifles and makes all these parts in-house in Iowa, USA.
Normally, a 10/22 barrel is slip fit to the receiver with a barrel shank fitting to an aluminum receiver trunnion with hopefully minimal play secured with a tensioning v-block. If there is excessive slop between the barrel and receiver, the dreaded barrel droop happens or you get a barrel that moves around minutely impacting accuracy. Generally, 10/22 builders attempt to obtain a receiver and barrel which mate together at room temperature perfectly since that fit will tighten the moment the barrel heats even slightly.
With the Volquartsen IF-5 series, the barrel and receiver are both stainless steel and the barrel is actually threaded and screwed into the threaded receiver. The barrel is headspaced to the bolt similar to high tier precision bolt guns. The result is that the IF-5 achieves a higher precision barrel to receiver fit with a barrel, receiver and bolt all designed, manufactured and assembled together to fit perfectly; ultimately maximizing accuracy.
With this barrel mounting method, the Lothar Walther based blanks with proprietary tuned .22LR Volquartsen match chambers, fluting, threading and finishing, have the best opportunity for accuracy. Also to further increase builds's accuracy, the IF-5 receiver is made of stainless steel to deliver a structurally stiffer receiver compared to aluminum. It all adds up to a Volquartsen platform which is all optimized for the ultimate accuracy. Without question the IF-5 delivers in a big way.
Inherently, this all stainless receiver and bull barrel is heavier than typical 10/22 components, however the fluting does help it shed more than a few ounces. Volquartsen’s proprietary I-Fluting is stunning, unique in the industry, but it was functionally designed to remove the most amount of weight while retaining maximum stiffness and surface area. It is actually 12-ounces lighter than the bull barrel. The I-Flute barrel is threaded, but finished with a Volquartsen Forward Blow Compensator which, when tightened down, is so well finished that it appears to be integrated.
THE BEAUTY OF THE IF-5 & VOLQUARTSEN BUILDS
There are many 10/22 options on the market that make barrels, triggers, various parts and receivers, but few that offer complete rifles. Volquartsen makes some of the most stunningly finished firearms available. Everything is impeccable from the fit, to the finish, to the accuracy. For the 10/22 customer there is no looking back when buying a Volquartsen. This may sound like a love fest with Volquartsen, however after DIY building well over 50+ 10/22 builds plus building and designing my own 3D printed builds, I have learned that each component matters and if they do not all fit together or play really nicely, then you are not going to get the accuracy and reliability you are paying for. Why not spend a few extra dollars and get something that is factory warrantied, built, tested, and proven as a winner right out of the box that you can go right to the range and enjoy.
There are a lot of fit and finish similarities of Volquartsen to the premier tier of bolt action precision rifles like Defiance, Stiller, and Big Horn, or the stock and trigger manufacturers like XLR or MDT and Timney. Volquartsen is not just delivering a pretty 10/22, it's a premier tier 10/22 format with both accuracy and quality similar to those custom tier precision bolt guns.
For the buyer, literally any option can be customized through Volquartsen directly including the stock. During the course of my article series for Tactical Retailer, I ordered the Volquartsen IF-5 without a stock so that I could use the newest inlet from WOOX stocks in their $1149 Furiosa stock. These are amazing stocks that combine the beauty of wood with the benefits of a stiff aluminum sub-chassis all in a fully adjustable format optimized for long-range precision shooting and extreme comfort. Put the WOOX Furiosa with the Volquartsen IF-5 and you really have the top tier of 10/22 format rifles on the market and undoubtedly one of the most expensive. Yeah, I know $1000+ for a stock… without question WOOX is offering a tier of stocks that are targeted to the upper income tier of shooters, however, you get what you pay for. To be fair, the XLR, KRG, and MDT stocks are around that range as well for their premier stocks and WOOX did not dumb down the Furiosa for the 10/22 inlet, it is the same stock as offered for their bolt guns, but just with a 10/22 inlet. Words cannot express the quality of this WOOX stock only that it is a perfect pairing for this stunning Volquartsen build.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dude, where are the accuracy comments and results… got groups? I would ask what is the point? My very first day and very first group at the range with the Volquartsen IF-5 10/22 all snuggled into the WOOX Furiosa stock, I shot a ⅛-inch 50-yard group with SK-Plus… and then it got better from there. With Lapua Center-X and Midas, and Exact, I was splitting hairs on which single hole group group was better and second guessing my influence in the equation. I can say without question this is an ⅛-inch 50-yard gun with quality ammo any day of the week. Initially I used an old Bushnell Elite scope for this build, however I think that it will likely earn a Hawke Optics 6-24 Sidewinder Optic in the future to stretch the capabilities out to 200-yards and beyond.
How do you judge one single hole grouping gun from the next. That is really where we are when we talk about the accuracy of the IF-5. When I say that this is one of my top most accurate builds, that refers to an elite tier of 10/22 builds that are the top of the top across well over fifty 10/22 builds. It's a build that you can shoot the flies that are landing on the target board.
For the buyer, there is something really amazing about just writing a check and getting one of the best and most accurate .22LR firearms made, vs piecing together a firearm and hoping it delivers as much. I will note first hand experience that a DIY build will not have this refinement, fit and finish as this complete Volquartsen 10/22 firearm. It is a beautiful piece of kit that I will cherish and enjoy the rest of my life.
- Stainless steel CNC-machined receiver
- .920” stainless steel bull barrel threaded into receiver
- I-Fluting
- Forward Blow Compensator
- TG2000 installed providing a crisp, clean trigger pull
- Integral Picatinny rail
- Muzzle threaded 1/2 x 28
- Stainless steel receiver with threaded in barrel
- Integral Picatinny rail
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